one little word // progress report

at the beginning of 2012 i chose a "one little word" to shape my life over the coming year. for many different reasons, i chose "core" as my word. i chose to focus on physical core, emotional core, core of my belief system, and the core unit of my family. click here to read my first "one little word" post.

i didn't flake out on keeping this one word as the focus of my year. in fact, it's played a bigger role in my life than i ever expected, shaping many of my choices and continuing to be at the forefront of my mind through all 12 months. but i haven't been great about sharing it here on the blog. as we near the end of the year i wanted to share some of the things that never made it to the blog and a look back at my one little word:

:: the core people in my life that matter most.
there wasn't a tangible way this focus manifested itself in my actions in 2012, but mentally it was so, so prominent.

constantly calling to mind the word "core," helped really strengthen my belief in the power of my marriage and scott and i as a team. in the face of unwanted advice or criticism or when i'd get caught in the trap of comparing my life to anyone else's, i'd pause and just think, "all that matters is what works for scott and me." simple? obviously. but powerful? oh yes. the year i picked this word became the year we started growing our little family so the timing really was magic.

core helped me to stop comparing my life to anyone elses. i've never been one to worry about what other people think of me or succumb to peer or societal pressure. i don't care about designer labels or status symbols, but i definitely would gauge my life progress against the timelines of others. this year, i stopped comparing. the only timeline and goals and plans that mattered were the one scott and i decided on for our little family.

core also related to my friendships. i have a core group of friends and don't really have the desire to make many more. i mean, i love people. i love getting to know individuals and their personal stories in a one-on-one manner, but i don't want or need a large group of acquaintances. i'm not a networker or socializer by nature and finally i'm saying, "that's okay," many thanks to my one little word. one of my favorite books of 2012 was susan cain's "quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking." such good fuel for my focus on core and highly recommended for anyone who sees themselves as more of an introvert than extrovert.

:: the values and beliefs i hold at my core.
a reason for picking core was to help me stay vegan(ish), even in the face of skeptics. it's funny to see my first post of 2012 now because i guess that was more of a problem for me in 2011 whereas now my heart doesn't even start to race a single beat extra in the face of ignorance. though the veganism wasn't a point of criticism by others in 2012, the plan to have a natural, midwife attended home birth for our first kid was. every time someone tried to "help" by pointing out that their sister, daughter, friend, mom or whoever, would have literally died had they not been in a hospital during childbirth (which pssst - i don't necessarily believe even if your doctor told you that) i just remembered core. i remembered that my core beliefs that i've honed in on with my core family members is all far more important than random bits of hearsay and others' fear.

in 2012 i also explored some of my core religious beliefs, or i should say, lack thereof. i am an atheist. that isn't a new discovery. raised without religion forced on me, i had the freedom of looking at mainstream religions with common sense and critical mind, free of a programmed mindset. but this year, as part of core, i've really been working through the contradiction of how i allow religion to permeate my life even with these firm atheist beliefs. if i don't believe in jesus, why do i celebrate easter or christmas, even without religion playing a role within those days? we don't need to have all the answers now, but it has prompted scott and i to start talking about how we are going to handle these holidays with our future children. we know there is no baptism, no temple or church, no talk of heaven and hell, but things like these holidays that straddle pop culture and religious significance are harder to plan for.

:: my emotional core.
one of the most direct actions taken from my choosing of the word core, was signing up for a 6-week meditation course. i always wanted to take up a meditation practice but the thought that i wasn't doing it "right" became the ultimate distraction to the goal of relaxation. over summer i took the "basics of mindfulness meditation" course at insightLA in santa monica and meditation finally clicked for me. the class i took was $175. i fretted about plunking down that amount of money on something that i guess, you can just do. i mean, you just close your eyes and sit quietly, right? i'm so thankful scott gave me the push to go for it. seriously, it was such an investment in my emotional core and one of the best things i did for myself (and i'd say, my marriage and my career) in 2012.

:: my physical core. 
at the start of the year i hoped to give yoga a try and becoming pregnant propelled me toward it. i started taking yoga classes two times a week at yogawest on robertson blvd and hope to continue a practice well beyond baby o's birth in march.
  
i've already picked my one little word for 2013 and look forward to sharing it  next week! 

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what is one little word? at the beginning of this year, i picked a single word to guide my life in the coming months. think of it as my theme for 2012. read why i picked the word "core" here. see all my "one little word" posts here